An electronic apparatus, a display control system, a display control method, and a display control program stored on a recording medium, each of which determines one or more display components to be displayed together with an application user interface, using display size information, priority order information, and display condition information that are previously stored for each one of the display components.
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1. An electronic apparatus comprising: a memory configured to store a plurality of display components each of which has been registered in association with at least one of a plurality of application programs, wherein each of the plurality of application programs corresponding to a particular type of application; and a processor configured to, manage, for each of the plurality of application programs, settings information regarding at least one of the plurality of display components associated with the particular type of application, the settings information including, display size information indicating an area required for displaying each of the at least one of the plurality of display components based on the particular type of application, priority order information indicating a priority order in displaying each of the at least one of the plurality of display components based on the particular type of application, and display condition information indicating a display condition under which each of the at least one of the plurality of display components is displayed based on the particular type of application, the display condition being a modifiable parameter that is selected from among a plurality of display conditions available on a display of the electronic apparatus for each of the at least one of the plurality of display components; identify one of the plurality of application programs that is currently in operation to display an application user interface; determine whether the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed together with the application user interface for the identified application program based on the display size information, the priority order information, and the display condition information; and display the at least one of the plurality of display components if the determining determines that the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed, together with the application user interface for the identified application program.
An electronic device manages display components (like widgets) alongside application user interfaces. It stores display components associated with applications, considering application type. For each application, it stores settings for associated display components, including: display size, priority order, and display conditions. Display conditions are modifiable parameters chosen from available options. The device identifies the currently running application, decides whether to display associated components based on their size, priority, and display conditions, and then displays the components along with the application's user interface.
2. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to, obtain information that reflects environments on which the identified application currently operates, and determine that the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed together with the application user interface for the identified application program, when a display condition indicated by the obtained information that reflects the environments satisfies the display condition indicated by the display condition information of the at least one of the plurality of display components, wherein the at least one of the plurality of display components that is determined to be displayed is arranged in an order defined by the priority order information.
Building upon the previous description, the electronic device also obtains information about the environment where the current application is running. It displays the display component if the environmental conditions match the display condition settings of that component. The displayed components are arranged according to their defined priority order. Specifically, the processor is further configured to determine that the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed together with the application user interface for the identified application program, when a display condition indicated by the obtained information that reflects the environments satisfies the display condition indicated by the display condition information of the at least one of the plurality of display components, wherein the at least one of the plurality of display components that is determined to be displayed is arranged in an order defined by the priority order information.
3. The electronic apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the obtained information that reflects the environments includes state information indicating a current state of the identified application program or a current state of at least one device configured to perform an operation under control of the identified application program.
Expanding on the previous environment-aware display, the information about the environment includes the current state of the application or the state of devices controlled by the application. Therefore, the obtained information that reflects the environments includes state information indicating a current state of the identified application program or a current state of at least one device configured to perform an operation under control of the identified application program.
4. The electronic apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the electronic apparatus is configured to obtain the state information from an image processing apparatus through a network, the state information indicating a current state of the identified application program stored in the image processing apparatus or a current state of at least one device in the image processing apparatus configured to perform an operation under control of the identified application program.
Further specifying the previous claim, the device obtains the application/device state information from an image processing apparatus (e.g., a printer) through a network. This remote state information is used to determine whether to display the application's display components. The electronic apparatus is configured to obtain the state information from an image processing apparatus through a network, the state information indicating a current state of the identified application program stored in the image processing apparatus or a current state of at least one device in the image processing apparatus configured to perform an operation under control of the identified application program.
5. The electronic apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to, obtain application user interface size information indicating an area size of the application user interface for the identified application program, and determine that the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed together with the application user interface for the identified application program, when an area required for displaying the at least one of the plurality of display components indicated by the display size information is equal to or less than a remained area size of the application user interface, wherein the at least one of the plurality of display components that is determined to be displayed is arranged in an order defined by the priority order information.
In addition to environment awareness, the device considers the available space on the application's user interface. It checks the size of the application interface and the required size of the display components. If the component fits within the remaining area, it's displayed according to its priority order. The processor is further configured to obtain application user interface size information indicating an area size of the application user interface for the identified application program, and determine that the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed together with the application user interface for the identified application program, when an area required for displaying the at least one of the plurality of display components indicated by the display size information is equal to or less than a remained area size of the application user interface, wherein the at least one of the plurality of display components that is determined to be displayed is arranged in an order defined by the priority order information.
6. The electronic apparatus of claim 5 , wherein, when the application user interface is divided into a plurality of display areas, the application user interface size information further indicates an area size of each one of the plurality of display areas of the application user interface for the identified application program, and the processor is further configured to determine that the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed together with the application user interface for the identified application program, when an area required for displaying the at least one of the plurality of display components indicated by the display size information is equal to or less than a remained area size of one of the plurality of display areas of the application user interface, wherein the at least one of the plurality of display components that is determined to be displayed is arranged in an order defined by the priority order information.
Extending the previous claim, if the application's user interface is divided into multiple display areas, the device checks if the component fits within the remaining area of *any* of those areas. If it fits in one area, it's displayed according to priority in that area. When the application user interface is divided into a plurality of display areas, the application user interface size information further indicates an area size of each one of the plurality of display areas of the application user interface for the identified application program, and the processor is further configured to determine that the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed together with the application user interface for the identified application program, when an area required for displaying the at least one of the plurality of display components indicated by the display size information is equal to or less than a remained area size of one of the plurality of display areas of the application user interface, wherein the at least one of the plurality of display components that is determined to be displayed is arranged in an order defined by the priority order information.
7. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to, receive a user input for selecting one of the at least one of the plurality of display components being displayed, and switch the application user interface to a display previously associated with the selected display component.
The electronic device allows the user to interact with displayed components. Selecting a displayed component switches the application user interface to a view or function previously associated with that selected component. The processor is configured to receive a user input for selecting one of the at least one of the plurality of display components being displayed, and switch the application user interface to a display previously associated with the selected display component.
8. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to display the at least one of the plurality of display components on an interface that allows a user to modify the settings information.
The electronic device provides an interface where users can modify the settings (size, priority, display conditions) of the display components. The processor is further configured to display the at least one of the plurality of display components on an interface that allows a user to modify the settings information.
9. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to add a new display component to the memory, according to the user preference.
The electronic device allows users to add new display components according to their preferences. The processor is further configured to add a new display component to the memory, according to the user preference.
10. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to generate the application user interface so as to include the at least one of the plurality of display components that is determined to be displayed as a part of the application user interface.
The device generates the application user interface to include the determined display components as integral parts of the interface. The processor is further configured to generate the application user interface so as to include the at least one of the plurality of display components that is determined to be displayed as a part of the application user interface.
11. The electronic apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the display component is a widget.
The display components described in the previous claims are widgets. The display component is a widget.
12. A display control method, comprising: storing, in a memory, a plurality of display components each of which has been registered in association with at least one of a plurality of application programs, wherein each of the plurality of application programs corresponding to a particular type of application; managing, for each of the plurality of application programs, settings information regarding at least one of the plurality of display components associated with the particular type of application, the settings information including, display size information indicating an area required for displaying each of the at least one of the plurality of display components based on the particular type of application, priority order information indicating a priority order in displaying each of the at least one of the plurality of display components based on the particular type of application, and display condition information indicating a display condition under which each of the at least one of the plurality of display components is displayed based on the particular type of application, the display condition being a modifiable parameter that is selected from among a plurality of display conditions available on a display of the electronic apparatus for each of the at least one of the plurality of display components; identifying one of the plurality of application programs that is currently in operation to display an application user interface; determining whether the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed together with the application user interface for the identified application program based on the display size information, the priority order information, and the display condition information; and displaying the at least one of the plurality of display components if the determining determines that the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed, together with the application user interface for the identified application program.
A method for managing display components (like widgets) alongside application user interfaces involves storing display components associated with applications, considering application type. For each application, it stores settings for associated display components, including: display size, priority order, and display conditions. Display conditions are modifiable parameters chosen from available options. The method identifies the currently running application, decides whether to display associated components based on their size, priority, and display conditions, and then displays the components along with the application's user interface.
13. The display control method of claim 12 , further comprising: obtaining information that reflects environments on which the identified application currently operates; determining that the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed together with the application user interface for the identified application program, when a display condition indicated by the obtained information that reflects the environments satisfies the display condition indicated by the display condition information of the at least one of the plurality of display components; and arranging the at least one of the plurality of display components that is determined to be displayed in an order defined by the priority order information for display.
Building upon the previous method, the method also obtains information about the environment where the current application is running. It displays the display component if the environmental conditions match the display condition settings of that component. The displayed components are arranged according to their defined priority order for display. The display control method further comprises: obtaining information that reflects environments on which the identified application currently operates; determining that the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed together with the application user interface for the identified application program, when a display condition indicated by the obtained information that reflects the environments satisfies the display condition indicated by the display condition information of the at least one of the plurality of display components; and arranging the at least one of the plurality of display components that is determined to be displayed in an order defined by the priority order information for display.
14. The display control method of claim 13 , further comprising: obtaining state information indicating a current state of the identified application program or a current state of at least one device that performs operation under control of the identified application program, as the obtained information that reflects the environments.
Expanding on the previous environment-aware method, the information about the environment includes the current state of the application or the state of devices controlled by the application. Therefore, the display control method further comprises: obtaining state information indicating a current state of the identified application program or a current state of at least one device that performs operation under control of the identified application program, as the obtained information that reflects the environments.
15. The display control method of claim 13 , further comprising: obtaining application user interface size information indicating an area size of the application user interface for the identified application program; determining that the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed together with the application user interface for the identified application program, when an area required for displaying the at least one of the plurality of display components indicated by the display size information is equal to or less than a remained area size of the application user interface; and arranging the at least one of the plurality of display components that is determined to be displayed in an order defined by the priority order information for display.
In addition to environment awareness, the method considers the available space on the application's user interface. It checks the size of the application interface and the required size of the display components. If the component fits within the remaining area, it's displayed according to its priority order. The display control method further comprises: obtaining application user interface size information indicating an area size of the application user interface for the identified application program; determining that the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed together with the application user interface for the identified application program, when an area required for displaying the at least one of the plurality of display components indicated by the display size information is equal to or less than a remained area size of the application user interface; and arranging the at least one of the plurality of display components that is determined to be displayed in an order defined by the priority order information for display.
16. The display control method of claim 15 , wherein when the application user interface is divided into a plurality of display areas, the application user interface size information further indicates an area size of each one of the plurality of display areas of the application user interface for the identified application program, and the method further comprises: determining that the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed together with the application user interface for the identified application program, when an area required for displaying the at least one of the plurality of display components indicated by the display size information is equal to or less than a remained area size of one of the plurality of display areas of the application user interface; and arranging the at least one of the plurality of display components that is determined to be displayed in an order defined by the priority order information for display.
Extending the previous method, if the application's user interface is divided into multiple display areas, the method checks if the component fits within the remaining area of *any* of those areas. If it fits in one area, it's displayed according to priority in that area. When the application user interface is divided into a plurality of display areas, the application user interface size information further indicates an area size of each one of the plurality of display areas of the application user interface for the identified application program, and the method further comprises: determining that the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed together with the application user interface for the identified application program, when an area required for displaying the at least one of the plurality of display components indicated by the display size information is equal to or less than a remained area size of one of the plurality of display areas of the application user interface; and arranging the at least one of the plurality of display components that is determined to be displayed in an order defined by the priority order information for display.
17. A non-transitory recording medium storing a plurality of computer-readable instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a display control method comprising: storing, in a memory, a plurality of display components each of which has been registered in association with at least one of a plurality of application programs, wherein each of the plurality of application programs corresponding to a particular type of application; managing, for each of the plurality of application programs, settings information regarding at least one of the plurality of display components associated with the particular type of application, the settings information including, display size information indicating an area required for displaying each of the at least one of the plurality of display components based on the particular type of application, priority order information indicating a priority order in displaying each of the at least one of the plurality of display components based on the particular type of application, and display condition information indicating a display condition under which each of the at least one of the plurality of display components is displayed based on the particular type of application, the display condition being a modifiable parameter that is selected from among a plurality of display conditions available on a display of the electronic apparatus for each of the at least one of the plurality of display components; identifying one of the plurality of application programs that is currently in operation to display an application user interface; determining whether the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed together with the application user interface for the identified application program based on the display size information, the priority order information, and the display condition information; and displaying the at least one of the plurality of display components if the determining determines that the at least one of the plurality of display components is to be displayed, together with the application user interface for the identified application program.
The invention relates to a system for managing and displaying application-specific user interface components in electronic devices. The problem addressed is the need to dynamically control the display of supplementary components alongside application user interfaces, ensuring they are appropriately sized, prioritized, and displayed under specific conditions. The solution involves storing display components in a memory, each associated with one or more application types. For each application, settings information is managed, including display size requirements, priority order for display, and modifiable display conditions (e.g., screen orientation, time of day, or user preferences). When an application is running, the system identifies it, checks the stored settings, and determines whether to display the associated components based on the current conditions. If conditions are met, the components are displayed alongside the application's user interface. This approach allows for flexible and context-aware integration of supplementary UI elements, improving user experience by adapting to application-specific needs and device states.
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November 26, 2013
May 9, 2017
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